Man was not made to be fuch an abfolute Lord of the Universe, as to enjoy the Fulness and Fatnefs of the Earth; without confidering the Hand from whence thofe Things came, but He was to have a Religious Regard to his great Benefactor, and to `magnifie His Bounty and Goodness, by making an honourable Oblation of a Part unto Him of what he had received; not by way of Recompence and Satisfaction, for that He was never able to do, and be fure the return of a Part could not be enough to do it: -But, it was by way of Gratitude, as an humble Acknowledgment of what He had received, as a proper Tribute belonging to the Sovereignty of his Creator; or, as a Rent Charge out of what He had so plentifully bestowed upon Him, that he might with Comfort rightfully enjoy the reft.

1

This was not to be any flight, trivial, inconfiderable, arbitrary Part, as he would himself; no Will worship as tis called, but fuch a one as God was to be Honoured by, of the fairest and best of the Kind and Increase of

the

the Earth, which he was poffeffed of, according to his Subftance and Prof perity.

It is the Concurrent Opinion of the Learned, that God revealed this Expectation of his to Adam, and, he taught and directed his Sons how to make their Offerings unto the Lord, with Refpect both to the Quality and Quantity of them.

Accordingly the First that we read of this kind were the Offerings of Cain and Abel, Gen. 4. 3, 4. The one brought of the Fruit of the Ground; the other, of the Firftlings of his Flock, according to their different Circumftances. The one being a Tiller of the Ground: The other, a Keeper of Sheep..

In which there is this Thing to be obferved, The one was Accepted, the other Rejected. And the Cause of it. not improbably this, because Abel took his Father's Direction, and offered unto God that Part, which he was required to offer, and of the Fat thereof, ver. 4. Eut Cain not regarding his own Duty that he had been inftru

&ted

Яted in, as well as his Brother, nor, fo much trufting in God's Providence, difregarded both the Goodness of the Offering, and the Quantity of it

too.

Acts and "Probably (Says Bishop Montague). Mon. of the ce The First that come to Hand without Chap. I. "Choice. Not fo good as he had to

Church.

હંદ

"offer, nor so much as he ought to "have offered. Not the Top, the 'Axeta! « Flower of his Wheat, as if any Thing "had been good enough, if not too good for God, according to the common Accuftomed, deformed Devotion of Reformed Times. Therefore it is faid, He did not divide aright, be"twixt God and himself. He made no juft or proportionable Divifion. "He dealt fraudulently with God, and gave him not his due.

66

This is exactly agreeable to the Sisarego LXX Tranflation of Gen. 4.7. If thou xy, haft offered aright, but haft not divided aright, haft thou not finned ?

μαρίες.

Which Translation gives the Reafon, why Cain's Sacrifice was rejected, which ours does not, but only fays,

That

That he did not well; And if thou doft not well, Sin lieth at the Door. He did not well, because he did not offer fo good, nor fo much as he ought; which fhews that there was a determinate Part; lefs than which he could not offer without finning against God.

For which Reason, God had no ReSpect to his Perfon, nor to his Offering ; as he had to Abel and to his Offering. Wherefore He pronounced him accurfed, for his Unrighteousness; but Abel highly honoured with the Chara&ter of being Righteous, for his making the full Offering as he ought, and of the best which he had. This being fuitable to his Faith, and the trust he had in Flim, whom he hereby worshipped. As the Apoftle St. Paul Records of him, Heb. 9. 4. By Faith 'Abel offered unto God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained Witness that he was Righteous, God teftifying of his Gifts: And by it he being dead, yet fpeaketh.

And tho' in exprefs Words, we do not find a Determination of the Quan

tum

tum here of this more excellent Sacrifice; or, how much goes to make a righteous and acceptable Offering? Yet, the unanimous Voice of the Eathers, and other ancient Writers among Jews and Chriftians, as well as Councils of the Church have pofitively afferted this Portion of God's, to be a Tenth Part of all our Increase: As I fhall have occafion to mention hereafter. And 'tis very probable from the general Practice afterwards throughout the World.

And the Learned Grotius upon the Place, declares that the Tenth was the Portion due to God from the most ancient Ages. And that the footsteps thereof, are to be found every where in the Greek and Latin Hiftories.

And because Cain did not bring fo much as That, he fhew'd that his Heart was not Right towards God: That he did not Honour Him with the beft, nor with that Proportion; therefore he was Rejected and became Accurfed, which prefently wrought upon him to do greater Wicked nefs, instead of Repenting for what he had

done